Picture Perfect
by Jdurst99
Summary: I knew she wouldn't believe me. How could she? Why would she? I wouldn't have believed it if it were me. I just thought Aria would get it, and that she would understand. This was the girl that I fought for, the girl that I loved, and now the girl I knew that I could never win back. Ezria One-Shot. Ezra's POV.


**NOTE: So, I don't know. This idea was just kind of floating around in my head, so I wrote it down. I really hope you guys like it.**

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"_I wanna know what was worth destroying everything we had for." _

Her words kept replaying in my head over and over again like a broken record. I let her slip through my fingers again. _Again. _I didn't remember getting off of that ski lift. I don't even remember seeing her or where she went. The only thing going through my mind was how heartbroken – how betrayed – Aria must have felt.

I slid into my car absentmindedly, not paying any attention to anything around me. I ran my fingers through my hair then put my palms against my face. I knew she wouldn't believe me. How could she? Why would she? I wouldn't have believed it if it were me. I just thought Aria would get it, and that she would understand. This was the girl that I fought for, the girl that I loved, and now the girl I knew that I could never win back.

I told her the truth. It may have been a painful truth, but I did not lie to her like she assumed. I just wanted her to see that. Yes, I used her, but I fell for her. I fell hard. I even stopped writing the book so I didn't ruin what we had.

I turned the key in my car and just listened to the engine quietly purr for a few minutes while I leaned back in my seat. Before I realized it, my face was damp with tears from I don't know what. Losing Aria? The fact that I lied to her about Ali? Maybe it was everything that happened these past few years.

I looked down at my watch and noticed that I had been sitting in my car for over half an hour. I raised my seat and pressed down on the gas.

* * *

I arrived home before I even realized that I had driven back into town. I turned the engine off and grabbed my keys. I once again leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes. I took several deep breaths, trying not to think of anything. I needed to clear my head. My plan failed. My thoughts were swarmed with one thing. Aria. Her and her broken heart was all I was thinking about.

Shaking my head, I got out of my car and headed towards my apartment building. With my head down, I climbed each step to my apartment where Aria and I had spent so much time together. Who knew if we would ever be together in the same room again? I dug around in my pockets and couldn't find my apartment key. I patted down my pants, pulled out my car keys and looked through them. None of them was the one I was looking for. My apartment key was nowhere to be found.

Crap.

I lifted up my doormat to see if my key was there, but to no avail. I never replaced it when A stole it; I was just hoping it would magically appear. I pounded on my own door as if someone were there to answer it. Slowly, I turned so that my back was against the door, and I slid down to the floor burying my face into my hands.

I finally looked up and around at my surroundings. I was alone in the small hallway; no one coming up the stairs and no one leaving their apartment. I looked down at my feet and noticed a thin object on the ground. I picked it up and twirled it in my hand. It was a bobby pin. I couldn't believe my luck, what were the chances? It must have been Aria's. I sighed deeply before I quickly stood up and turned to face my door. I had broken in to places before, but not with a bobby pin. I'd seen people do it before, it seemed fairly simple. Within about a minute, I heard a click and my door unlocked.

As I opened the door, my eyes immediately scanned the cluttered desks, the unmade bed and the clothes scattered all over the room. I walked over to my desk and saw the stack of papers right at the top. The first thing that caught my eye was the other copy of the rough draft to my book. I picked it up with one hand and stared at it for what seemed like forever. It took me some time to think about what I was doing, but I did it anyway. I took a deep breath and threw the papers as hard as I could to the other side of the room. I turned back to my desk and found a small journal where I kept notes. I picked it up and ripped out every single paper one by one. Next, I leaned over my coffee table and flipped it over to its side, scattering newspaper, cups and plates.

I took a deep breath as I processed what I was doing in my mind. It didn't stop me. I picked up my lamp by the couch and slammed it into the ground, breaking the base into millions of pieces. Then I rushed over to my television and pushed it over, sending thousands of cracks running all over it like a huge spider web. I walked to my shelf with my heart racing as I grabbed my framed college degree. I grabbed it and threw it at my cabinet, leaving glass residue all over the floor, both from the frame and the cabinet. Looking inside the destroyed cabinet door, I delicately and carefully grabbed the framed picture of Aria and I. I raised my hand, ready to shatter it when I lowered my arm slowly and stared at the picture. Aria looked happy. I wanted her to always stay that way. I set the picture down in the middle of the destruction, right where I'd always be able to see it.

"How did I ruin everything?" I whispered to myself as I buried my face into my hands, sobbing quietly. Suddenly, I heard a knock on my door. I threw my head back scoffed to myself; this was the _perfect _time for someone to come over.

I stood up and kicked a few things around on my way to the door. I wasn't prepared to make up a story as to what happened; I was hoping that it was a neighbor and we'd just have a quick talk. I didn't know how to explain the redness of my eyes or the dampness of my cheeks.

I stepped over the last few remnants of my lamp and grabbed the door knob. I closed my eyes and cringed as I slowly opened the door. I opened my eyes when the door was about one third of the way open; I immediately jumped back in surprise when I saw her face. She stepped into my mess of an apartment and looked at all of the rubble.

"Ezra, what did you do?" Aria asked with her eyebrows raised.

"Maybe you should come another time." I said, running my hands through my hair.

"You didn't answer my question." She crossed her hands over her chest and stared me directly in the eye.

I gestured over to the kitchen. "Do you want something to dr—"

"Ezra! Just stop avoiding this. Answer me, please." She said a little calmer.

"It's pretty much what it looks like, Aria." I said, irritated.

"Why?"

"It doesn't even matter. Why are you even here?" I started pacing around the room and she followed suit. She walked around staring at each item that I had broken, ripped and shattered. I noticed that one thing caught her eye; the perfectly unscarred picture of us in the middle of the room.

She leaned in and picked it up, holding it in her hands so delicately it seemed that if she held it any tighter it would crumble in her hands.

"I remember this." She said quietly to herself. She held it against her chest with her eyes closed. She took a deep breath. "I came back to talk to you. I wanted to confront you, to tell you to leave. I wish I could have come sooner, I could've prevented this from happening."

"So now all of a sudden you care?" I said sternly.

"Yeah, I do. You destroyed everything."

"Well, now I know that you think all of this," I gestured around the room, "was destroying our relationship, so . . . this happened."

"Ezra, I—" Aria began.

"No. There's no need to explain anything. This would've never worked out anyway. I knew you'd react the way that you did, there was just a small sliver of hope that kept me believing that you would understand. It'd probably be best if you just go home. And if you really want me to leave Rosewood, I'll be packed by tomorrow afternoon."

Aria walked closer to me. "I don't want you to leave."

"I don't understand you. You have one opinion, and now that you see my apartment is a mess and you know what I did, you're changing your mind? You don't need to feel bad for me."

"Ezra—"

"No, Aria—"

"Yes, Ezra. You are going to listen to what I have to say." I opened my mouth about to say something, but I closed it again. "I care about you. Okay? I don't want some book ruining all of this. Sure, I'm hurt that you knew Alison. I'm hurt that you were just planning on using me. I'm hurt that you lied to me about all of this!" She threw her arms into the air. "But I realize now, that the way that I'm going to get through this is with you."

I couldn't believe the words she was saying. This was the girl that had wanted nothing to do with me just a couple of hours ago, now she wanted to fix things between us. I didn't know if I should have felt happy or angered. I guess the decision was made when I stepped forward and wrapped Aria in a tight embrace. Her head nestled into my neck and I could smell the scent of her shampoo. My hand was tangled in her brown hair and her hands gripped me tight. I slowly loosened my hold of her and stepped back, holding her hands in mine and looking straight into her eyes.

"I won't publish the book. This, what we have, is much more important to me than just some praise for a crime novel. I love you Aria."

"I love you too."

* * *

Aria and I sat on my bed, one of the few things that had not been hurt in my little frenzy. Once again, I held her in my arms, not wanting to ever let go for the fear of losing her again. I stroked her hair and kissed her neck, noticing that she had fallen asleep. I smiled to myself; Aria was so cute when she slept. She had her lips slightly parted and her chest rose and fell softly. I shifted to the right a little bit and Aria stirred in her sleep; she was a pretty light sleeper. She looked up at me and gave a small smile.

"I didn't know I fell asleep. I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to apologize for. It's been a rough couple of days." I said looking back on the week. I wanted to forget everything. I wanted this moment to last forever, to be as perfect as my picture that remained unscathed.

Aria leaned back into me with her head against my chest. She placed her hands on top of another over her chest. I thought she was going to fall asleep again, but then she suddenly jumped up and leaned against the wall next to my side.

Aria was looking straight ahead into the wreckage and sighed. "Are we really worth it all? All of this?" She looked into my eyes. "We have to give up so much, what if we don't even end up being together in the future? I mean, it's a possibility isn't it?" She looked at me with sincere uncertainty in her hazel eyes.

"If you're second-guessing anything—"

"No, I'm not second-guessing. It's just, haven't you ever thought about it before?"

I took a deep breath. "I think about it almost every day. 'Is what we're doing right?' 'Am I taking away from the teenager life you're supposed to have?' I just want you to be happy, but thinking of living a life without you seems impossible and it sounds horribly unpleasant. You know there isn't anything I wouldn't do for you, right?"

Aria nodded. "But what about what I said? What I said about us not being together in the future?"

"I don't know, but hopefully I don't do anything stupid enough to make you want to leave in the first place." Aria said nothing after that. She just got herself situated with her head on my chest once again. I could tell that this topic would always trouble her, but right then, I just wanted to be with her. I didn't want to think about what happened or what there is to come. I wanted to think about that moment and that moment only.

If only we could have stayed in that perfect moment forever. However long that may be.

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**NOTE: So, I know some of you might think that Aria forgave Ezra too fast, but if you think about it… isn't that kind of what Aria does? :) Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed!**

**-Jdurst99 **


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